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SUMAC COMMUNITY WORKER CO-OPERATIVE

Planet Bean Coffee is a division of the Sumac Community Worker Co-operative. People start working at Planet Bean and after a period of time are able to join the worker co-operative and become a member of Sumac. Their employment is then seconded to Planet Bean.

WHY A WORKER CO-OPERATIVE?

At Planet Bean we believe a democratic workplace based on the international principals of co-operation is the way to create a model for a people centred economy. The purpose of a worker co-operative is to create meaningful and life sustaining employment for its members. Our project is very much in development and we embrace that old adage of “we are building the road as we travel”.

WHY A “COMMUNITY” WORKER CO-OPERATIVE?

Sumac consciously put the word community into its name to reflect the its broader structural goals. Our organization is being built for growth. We take inspiration from larger integrated worker co-operative structures like the Mondragon Co-operative Corporation of the Basque region. Our organization is a social economy enterprise that incorporates the needs of workers, community and eco-systems into its overall operations and philosophies.

WORKER CO-OPS AND FAIR TRADE

As a business owned and operated by a worker co-operative operating in north America our primary business is the promotion and sale of excellent fair trade coffee. We believe that as a worker co-operative focused on economic democracy, social justice, ecological sustainablity and building alternative economic structures in our community, we are ethically consistent with our fair trade producer organizations in the south. We are committed to the principles of co-operation and fair trade. We also seek to differentiate our democratic co-op structure from conventional business structures involved in fair trade.

INVESTMENT

Planet Bean is a growing business that requires investment for expansion. Investments assist us in improving our roasting facility as well as opening new coffee bars. This in turn increases the amount of coffee we purchase from fair trade farmer co-operatives. Currently individuals can make RRSP eligible investments in Planet Bean. For more information please contact us at: invest@planetbeancoffee.com.